Saving Money in Eagle County, CO

My family loves Eagle County. For those of you not in the know ;), Eagle County, CO includes popular ski resorts such as Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, and Avon. It’s also next door to Summit County, host to Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, and Copper Mountain. One of our most favorite Wyndham Vacation Resort is in Eagle County, Wyndham Avon. This is an all-presidential unit resort and the property is just gorgeous. If you ever get a chance to try it out, GO! You won’t regret it.

Vail and the surrounding area is very expensive though. It’s a popular Hollywood winter get-away and you’ll regularly see celebrities moseying around. Because we also vacation there regularly, we’re keen on all the ways to save money like a local and now you can be in the know as well. Here’s some of my tips that I utilized for saving money in Eagle County during our last trip.

Go during the off season

I think this is true for saving money at any vacation locale. It’s always cheaper to go when the crowds aren’t there. We actually went Memorial Day weekend and it was dead. The summer activities really haven’t started yet (they don’t tend to get into full swing till Father’s Day) and of course, it’s way too late to ski!

Utilize discount websites like Groupon and Restaurant.com

We’ve gotten everything from 1/2 price movie tickets to the CineBistro (very expensive otherwise!), discount spa passes to high end spas, and restaurant gift certificates by utilizing these websites. You can get some massive discounts, use them!

Research free things to do in the area

There are some wonderful hiking and biking trails in the county that are completely free. One I recommend trying out ASAP is Hanging Lakes. It’s a gorgeous (though tough!) hike to waterfalls and a lake but they are considering charging for parking next year. Go before you have to pay! We also visited Rocky Mountain Science Museum, which is completely free. It’s tiny and mostly for young children but the couple of nature hikes surrounding the property were pretty! You can also check out free movies at the Vail Public Library. Show a library card to your own local library and they’ll set you up with a guest library card to use while in the area!

Book a condo instead of a hotel room

We always stay at Wyndham Avon (my parents are club owners) which is a Presidential Reserve Resort. All the units have full kitchens and that alone saves us so much money! Plus, with all the food allergies and sensitivities we have, sometimes it’s just easier to be able to guarantee that what we make for dinner is safe to eat. Eagle County is pretty pricey. We pick and choose the restaurants we want to splurge on and then grocery shop for the rest of our meals.

Reach out to activity companies that interest you for deals

This works especially if you’re going during a slow time of year (see my first tip). There’s no harm in asking a company for any discounts they might be able to offer you! Maybe it’s a military discount, or a group discount, or a discount if you go a certain day of the week. The worst they can say is no, right? So ask! I reached out to the (relatively) new hot springs, Iron Mountain, and was offered a media rate if I did some social media advertising for them. If you’re also a blogger or influencer, this is definitely a great way to make contacts and broaden your relationships.

Have you ever vacationed in Eagle County? Have any other money-saving tips for us readers? Comment below!